Ziprasidone is a known compound having the structure: ##STR1##
It is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,831,031 and 5,312,925, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety, has utility as a neuroleptic, and is thus useful, inter alia, as an antipsychotic. It is typically administered as the hydrochloride acid addition salt. The hydrochloride salt is advantageous in that it is a high permeability drug, a factor which favorably affects bioavailability. The hydrochloride salt does, however, possess relatively poor aqueous solubility, a factor which unfavorably affects bioavailability.
Low solubility compounds can be problematic in the pharmaceutical arts from a formulations perspective. Typical approaches can involve (1) using particular formulations excipients which increase solubility, for example surfactants, and/or (2) formulating the drug in a small particle size, thereby increasing the surface area of the drug to facilitate more rapid dissolution. The latter method can present difficult and expensive formulation and quality control challenges, however.